Railroad cross-tie



(No Model.)

H G. DRAPER.

RAILROAD GROSS TIE. N0. 359.854. Patented Mar. 22, 1887.

INVENTOR:

BY fiat/Mm ATTORNEYS.

1 n m 5% a 1 m a? M m NITED STATES PATENT Trice.

HENRY CLAY DRAPER, OF OSYVEGO, KANSAS.

RAILROAD CROSS-=TIE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,85 dated March 22, 1887.

Application filed February 5, 1887. Serial K092213312.

To (4% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY CLAY DRAPER, of ()swego, in the county of Labette and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad Gross-Ties, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railroad cross-ties and means for supporting and securing the rails thereon; and it consists in the peculiar construction of composite cross ties made partly of wood, partlyof iron, in combination with a track-coltof peculiar form for fastening the rail thereto, as will be hereinafter fully described.

Figure 1 is a sectional View, in perspective, of the crosstie, rail, and track-bolt; and Fig. Qisaseclional detail,lookingendwisethetrackbolt.

The cross tie is composed of a central wooden beam, A, and two metal channel-bars, B B, having each an outwardly-projecting flange at top and bottom, the bottom flanges being much longer than the top ones, so as to give a broader bearing for the tie and a better holdin the ballast of the track to prevent the tie from rising. These channeled bars are bolted through the wooden center beam, so as to make a perfectly solid cross-tie. In the upper flange of each channel-plate is cut or formed notches or slots a,to receive a track-bolt, O, of

peculiar construction. This track-bolt has an offsetting head or shoulder, b, that clamps the base of the rail, a bend, c, at right angles near this head, and a long shank adapted to pass through the composite crosstie, and a screwtbreaded end with not 0 or other fastening.

In adjusting this track-bolt to place its long shank is passed through the composite crosstie horizontally, the portion between the head 1 and the bend fittinginto one of the slots a in 1 the flangeoi' the channel-bar. Then,when the i (No model.)

nut (or key) 0 draws the track-bolt tight, it will be seen that it serves the double purpose of clamping the three sections of the cross-tie together, and also holding by its head I) the base of the rail down on the crosstie.

The advantages of this form of cross-tie and fastening are as follows: It uses less metal than an alliron cross-tie, and is therefore less cxpensive. The wooden center permits the rails and switch sections to be spiked to it in the usual way. The flanges and intervening wood present suflicient bearing surface on the ground to prevent settling, and the long lower flanges are securely held by the ballast down against rising. The wood and iron may also be coated with paint or tar at small cost, and the wood easily renewed from time to time, while the 5 tie of the several sections, and also hold the rail down to place.

Having thus described my invontiomwbat I claim as new isl. A railroad crosstie composed of a solid wooden middle portion, A, the two channel- .bars B B, with notches in their upper flanges,

and the track-bolt C, having an offset orhead and a bend at right angles adapted to fit said notch, and a screwnut or fastening device for securing the bolt on the opposite side of the cross-tie, substantially as described.

2. The track-bolt 0, having a head or shoul- 'der, 1), a bend, c, at right angles, and a screwthreaded stem and nut, in combination with a crosstie having a notched flange at its upper edge, substantially as and for the purpose described.

HENR-Y CLAY DRAPER. \"Vitnesses:

E. D. KINSEY, O. W. Osnonn. 

